Aircraft refueling booms can be moved through a wide range of movement in response to operator input signals sent to the boom control system. The operator input signals are produced in response to manual manipulation of an input device by the operator of the boom. For example, an aircraft refueling boom can be controlled to move through a field of movement of the boom by an operator manually manipulating a joystick control device. The operator movement of the joystick forwardly or rearwardly would cause the control system to move the boom downwardly or upwardly, respectively. The operator movement of the joystick to the left or to the right would cause the control system to move the boom to the left or to the right, respectively.
The aircraft refueling boom field of movement through which the boom can be moved in response to input by the operator is limited in order to avoid damage to the boom, damage to the aircraft being refueled, and damage to the tanker aircraft from which the boom extends. For example, the aircraft refueling boom field of movement is limited by the soft limit control system of the boom to avoid the boom impacting with the fuselage of the tanker aircraft. Such an impact could damage the boom or the refueling nozzle of the boom. Furthermore, such an impact could result in the boom damaging the fuselage of the tanker aircraft. Thus, aircraft refueling boom control systems that oppose certain control signals produced by an operator's manual movement of a control device to avoid damage to the boom, the refueling nozzle and the tanker aircraft fuselage are desirable.